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akikaki1 wrote:Any of you gone? I'm planing to go MTC this summer and looking for housing. How did your time there fair?

I lived in the original International House that was torn down many years ago. My time there was just okay (it was an extremely spartan dormitory -- I think the new one is probably nicer). I used to live on the hill above the new International House, and occasionally ate in their dining room (very so-so at that time), but never checked out the rooms.

I would say the location is quite inconvenient if you are planning to study at MTC. It will either be a fairly long MRT ride plus a longish walk, or you will need to have your own transportation. It would be a long bicycle ride, and I don't want to be the one to recommend you ride a a scooter in Taipei's traffic.

thought someone said it was a few minutes away? guess that may be out of the question any accommodation you'd recommend close to MTC?

akikaki1 wrote:Any of you gone? I'm planing to go MTC this summer and looking for housing. How did your time there fair?

I lived in the original International House that was torn down many years ago. My time there was just okay (it was an extremely spartan dormitory -- I think the new one is probably nicer). I used to live on the hill above the new International House, and occasionally ate in their dining room (very so-so at that time), but never checked out the rooms.

I would say the location is quite inconvenient if you are planning to study at MTC. It will either be a fairly long MRT ride plus a longish walk, or you will need to have your own transportation. It would be a long bicycle ride, and I don't want to be the one to recommend you ride a a scooter in Taipei's traffic.

thought someone said it was a few minutes away? guess that may be out of the question any accommodation you'd recommend close to MTC?

Yeah I just checked where that place is. It's not exactly conveniently located for the MTC. A scooter would be a must. Good location if you're a cyclist mind.

I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.

Darling, the International House is on the hills of Xindian. From MTC, walk 10 minutes to Guting station, then take MRT 20 minutes, then wait for their mini bus. Such minibus travels like 15 minutes up a mountain, not a hill, a mountain scooters have no business going up, cars have trouble with. Try that one after a few beers...

It used to be a favorite when there were just a handful of hostels in Taipei. Clean and safe and cheap. It has a morning shuttle straight to NTU and MTC. From what I've been told, however, nowadays the quality has diminished, and there are safety issues with your stuff. There are also plenty of other choices out there, even foreign run hostels at closer locations. Even business hotels for about the same price.

I'd reccomend you to book a hotel for teh firts two nights and then book better accomodations after you arrive and look around. One of the features of Taiwan is convenience. Convenience a 5 minutes to MRT. 10 minute walk to MTC. Not 15/20 minutes to bus stop to transfer to MRT. Please be smart. There are many people who could trick you into getting a not so convenient place just because they say it has all the "amenities" (like AC, which is actually indispensible in summer), and they you will discover you have been cheated. Be careful. Yes, we know you are a big boy, but we've also met lots of smart people who were tricked just because this was their first time here/thought a 30 minute commute like in London was the norm. It isn't.

Icon wrote:Darling, the International House is on the hills of Xindian. From MTC, walk 10 minutes to Guting station, then take MRT 20 minutes, then wait for their mini bus. Such minibus travels like 15 minutes up a mountain, not a hill, a mountain scooters have no business going up, cars have trouble with. Try that one after a few beers...

It used to be a favorite when there were just a handful of hostels in Taipei. Clean and safe and cheap. It has a morning shuttle straight to NTU and MTC. From what I've been told, however, nowadays the quality has diminished, and there are safety issues with your stuff. There are also plenty of other choices out there, even foreign run hostels at closer locations. Even business hotels for about the same price.

I'd reccomend you to book a hotel for teh firts two nights and then book better accomodations after you arrive and look around. One of the features of Taiwan is convenience. Convenience a 5 minutes to MRT. 10 minute walk to MTC. Not 15/20 minutes to bus stop to transfer to MRT. Please be smart. There are many people who could trick you into getting a not so convenient place just because they say it has all the "amenities" (like AC, which is actually indispensible in summer), and they you will discover you have been cheated. Be careful. Yes, we know you are a big boy, but we've also met lots of smart people who were tricked just because this was their first time here/thought a 30 minute commute like in London was the norm. It isn't.

It's not awful, it's Okish. I've seen a couple advertised here, I helped book a friend in one in Dinxi and he was very happy about it. The problem is that I do not know what you would like, what do you expect, what do you need. Heard the one at the last station on the Blue line was nice, too. But I do not know, aside from MTC, what else you'll need, and if you are willing to commute.

Icon wrote:It's not awful, it's Okish. I've seen a couple advertised here, I helped book a friend in one in Dinxi and he was very happy about it. The problem is that I do not know what you would like, what do you expect, what do you need. Heard the one at the last station on the Blue line was nice, too. But I do not know, aside from MTC, what else you'll need, and if you are willing to commute.

Looking for close (5-10 min walk), around 400$ a month with a roommate, furnished with air conditioning. No rats.

I second Icon's suggestion of just finding a cheap hotel for the first few nights while you get the feel of the town and decide where you want to live. You will find notices for accommodations on the bulletin boards at the MTC and other universities and language centers. If you have local contacts, perhaps you can get some help looking around. Taipei is a renter's market. You should be able to find a decent room in a shared apartment not too far away from NTC in the range of NT$8,000 to NT$12,000 per month, or a decent one-room studio apartment for NT$13,000 to NT$20,000, or a proper apartment for anywhere from NT$15,000 to NT$25,000 (or as much higher as you want to go for a luxury apartment.

Rats are everywhere, bigger than cats. Don't confuse them with purse dogs, OK?

400 = 13200 nts. Shared rooms should start at 10K, me thinks. But 5 to 10 minute walk around Shi-Da the options are dismal, when it comes to decently priced abodes. Really awful, unkempt, mostly. If you want a clean place, it may be too small, if it is close, it is old and dirty and ugly. Choices... mmm. If you want a nice place that's close, then you pay through the nose, meaning 13K not enough.

You mean housemates, right, not sharing a room for that price? Come here, hotel 2 days, look around, come early in the season.

I second Icon's suggestion of just finding a cheap hotel for the first few nights while you get the feel of the town and decide where you want to live. You will find notices for accommodations on the bulletin boards at the MTC and other universities and language centers. If you have local contacts, perhaps you can get some help looking around. Taipei is a renter's market. You should be able to find a decent room in a shared apartment not too far away from NTC in the range of NT$8,000 to NT$12,000 per month, or a decent one-room studio apartment for NT$13,000 to NT$20,000, or a proper apartment for anywhere from NT$15,000 to NT$25,000 (or as much higher as you want to go for a luxury apartment.

400 = 13200 nts. Shared rooms should start at 10K, me thinks. But 5 to 10 minute walk around Shi-Da the options are dismal, when it comes to decently priced abodes. Really awful, unkempt, mostly. If you want a clean place, it may be too small, if it is close, it is old and dirty and ugly. Choices... mmm. If you want a nice place that's close, then you pay through the nose, meaning 13K not enough.

You mean housemates, right, not sharing a room for that price? Come here, hotel 2 days, look around, come early in the season.

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